‘Righteous gentiles’ honored in Poland

Israeli ambassador confers posthumous recognition to men and women who saved Jews during the Holocaust

WARSAW — Israel’s ambassador to Poland on Tuesday posthumously honored six of the country’s “righteous gentiles,” in a ceremony held at the offices of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Joined by Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, a former Polish foreign minister, Israeli ambassador Zvi Rav-Ner conferred medals on the six Poles, some of whom were executed by the Nazis for providing aid to Jews in hiding.

The awards, presented by Yad Vashem since 1963, recognize non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination. More than 24,000 have received the honor, including more than 6,000 Poles.

Also on Tuesday, the Museum of the History of the Polish Jews held a ceremony celebrating the 70th anniversary of Zegota, the Polish Council for Aiding Jews. High school students from Warsaw attended the event.

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